What Carson Left Behind
by CMDragonia
Summary: MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE RETURN PART I, II AND SUNDAY! Do they need security clearance for what they know?
1. All Alone

SPOILERS FOR THE SEASON 3 MID-SEASON FINALE

DISCLAIMER: None of the characters belong to me.

Author's Note- Carson was soo upset about leaving his turtles behind, and I loved that part so much that I just had to write this. Just a quick little drabble, but when the bunny won't go away, I'm forced to write! Hope you all enjoy!

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They were all alone.

The Owner had fed them a few hours ago, talking to them in his strange but soothing accented voice. He told them of going to dinner with some humans named Colonel Sheppard, Rodney, and a woman named Elizabeth. They listened quietly as he spoke to them about the first time he met each one. He had a wonderful voice to listen to, and they enjoyed his speaking.

He told them how he had met Dr. Elizabeth Weir when she had hired him to do genetic research and be her Chief Medical Doctor in a place called Antarctica. She had asked him after he had discovered something called an ATA gene. He spoke of how he respected her as a leader and enjoyed her friendship. They heard the concern in his voice as he spoke of how he found her, obviously depressed, in her messy apartment.

He spoke to them, a bemused chuckle in his voice of the man named Rodney. A brilliant, arrogant man who Carson missed more than he cared to admit. A man whose friendship he valued and whose opinion always made Carson strive to be and do better. He told them of how he tried to say goodbye, about what he had really wanted to say to Rodney that day in the Lab.

"Oh, Rodney." Owner had sighed.

He talked about how the first time he had met Colonel Sheppard he almost killed him. He talked fondly about the man, remembering adventure after adventure with him, the injuries, the recoveries, the friendship they shared. Carson missed his laid back personality and his ability to do what needed to be done. They listened closely, absorbing every word Owner told them.

They listened in awe as he told them of the magnificent City that he had lived in for the past few years. The Ancient City that rose from the depths of the ocean, full of wonders and technology one could only dream of. He told them of his Infirmary, where he spent hours creating his artificial gene therapy, a retrovirus for something called a Wraith (they had noticed him shudder slightly as he spoke of these frightening creatures, no doubt reliving painful memories). He spoke to them about the people he had cared for, those he saved, and those who didn't make it.

They relaxed as he gently patted each of their heads, checking to make sure they would be alright for the next few hours.

Then he had left, with their light on a timer so that they knew when it was day and when it was night. They swam around happily, basking on their flat rock and nibbling at the food Owner had left for them. They waited happily for Owner to return, to tell them more stories of the place called Atlantis. They were eager to hear more, to learn more about Owner and to know what he knew.

But he never returned. The light over their tank shut off, and in the morning when it turned on again Owner still wasn't there. He didn't return for the whole day. They kept to their routine; basking, swimming, sleeping, eating a little. But Owner never came back.

Carson's turtles were all alone.

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	2. All Alone, But Not Really

Disclaimer: None of the Characters belong to me.

A/N: A few people requested a sequel to the story, and I was bored in class one day and this is what came out. Major Spoilers for The Return Part II and Sunday.

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It had been three days. Three long days of swimming, sunning, and eating what little food was left. The water, clear in the beginning, was now turning a murky color, which was not pleasant to swim in. The lettuce Owner had given them was now turning a wilted yellow, and not satisfying to eat at all. However, there were food pellets left, and while they were not as tasty as lettuce, they needed to eat something to keep them from going hungry. They had no idea when the Owner would return, but they hoped it would be soon.

Finally, on the fourth day, they heard the rattle of a key being put into the lock in the door. With a gentle creak, the door swung open, and they were delighted to see Owner walking through the door.

"Ooch, what a day. I canne believe I'm saying this, but it's good to be back here." They splashed into the water happily as they watched Owner drop the heavy bag that he had been carrying. Hearing the soft splash, Owner turned around and smiled brightly.

"Ah, hullo wee ones. I'm sorry I was away for so long. Why don't I get you cleaned up a bit?" Owner went into the food area and returned with a shallow plate of water. Reaching carefully into their home, he gently scooped both of them up and brought them close to his face, his bright blue eyes shining with affection.

"Aye, I did miss the both of ye. I'm glad I got to come back, instead of leaving ye here all alone." Gently scratching each on their backs, he placed them down in the plate.

They happily began swimming around in the new fresh water. Meanwhile, Owner went to work cleaning out their home, scrubbing their rock, draining their water, and putting fresh food in their plate. Finally, he scooped up each of them individually, placing them back on their rock.

Excited to be in their now clean home, they barely noticed Owner sitting down heavily in his chair. They didn't see him close his eyes, and didn't hear him give a heavy sigh. They happily went on with their sunning, swimming, and quick snacking while Owner napped tiredly. They did pay attention, however, when they heard a loud chirping sound that woke Owner up. They watched as he pulled a small black square out of his pocket and hold it to his ear.

"Hullo?" Owner said tiredly. They watched with interest as Owner was quiet for a few moments, still holding the square to his ear. Then, he spoke again.

"Aye, thank ye, Elizabeth for letting me know. I'm glad the SGC approved of me bringing the wee ones back to Atlantis. When are we returning?" They eagerly perked up at the name Atlantis, remembering the place Owner had spoken of many times to them.

"Three days from now? Aye, that will be fine, I have people packing up my equipment at the SGC as we speak. I'll just pack up here and call the landlord and be back sometime tomorrow afternoon. Thanks, luv, I'll see you then." They watched curiously as Owner removed the square from his ear and touch it, then placed it back in his pocket.

"Guess what, loves?" Owner spoke to them happily. "I get to take you back to Atlantis with me. Remember I told ye about it there? Well, now you'll get to see it yerself." He quickly moved over to a cabinet, and pulled out a different house, this one with a top.

"I'll have to move ye into here, but I won't do that until tomorrow, before we leave." Placing the box next to their home, he looked around the room.

"Well, best be getting packed then, aye?" he spoke to himself, as he disappeared into his sleeping place.

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"Oh, Carson, they are so cute. How did you convince the SGC to let you bring them here?" Dr. Cole asked, peering into their home. They quickly splashed into the water, feeling very shy in their new surroundings.

"Well, I'd have to give them away otherwise, I have a sister who lives in the US, but she's in New York, so it wouldn't have worked. Besides, they allow us to have mice for experiments, so two wee turtles couldn't do any possible harm." Owner explained, smiling comfortingly at them.

They had been slightly shocked when Owner had carried them through what looked like shimmering water standing up straight. Only, as they discovered, it wasn't water, and they finally got to see Atlantis, the place of wonder Owner had told them about. It was warm and inviting, with lots of light, and they could smell the sea nearby. In fact, as they soon found out, they were right in the middle of the sea. Atlantis was like a giant rock, full of large holes for living in the shade, surrounded by the clear blue water. Owner had taken them to an opening to look, but then moved them inside, to a room where he did a lot of work.

There were many visitors who stopped by, looking into their home, most often with smiles. There was one, however, they remembered being named McKay, who never smiled at them.

"Carson, I can't believe you brought them here. Who knows what kind of diseases they could have brought with them, they could end up getting all of us sick!"

"Rodney, they are perfectly healthy, and they wouldn't be able to get anyone sick anyway, they're in a closed tank." Owner said gently. They could see that McKay was still not happy.

"Carson, turtles have salmonella, amongst an assortment of other possible diseases. And keeping them in the Infirmary is just a bad idea in general."

"Rodney, I'm barely in my own room to begin with. Plus, everyone who comes through here, other than you, mind ye, thinks that they are adorable. So there's no getting rid of them, ye hear?" Owner said, raising his voice slightly at McKay. Grumbling, McKay left the room. Owner looked over at them.

"Don't pay him any mind, loves. He's a cat person, and doesn't like other animals. You two are perfectly safe here." They happily splashed into their water to show Owner that they understood. Their new lives were going to be quite exciting.

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One day, however, Owner never came back from what he had left to do. They had seen him run off with some other people, but he never returned. Instead, the nice man named Colonel and McKay came into the room where they were.

"Hey little guys." Colonel spoke gently to them. They looked up from their rock, where they had been sunning themselves.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news for you. Carson…" he trailed off, looking at McKay for something.

"Carson can't take care of you anymore." McKay told them. "He's gone away, forever, so we have to find someone else to watch you."

They didn't understand. Owner was gone? Had he just left them alone, here in his amazing Atlantis, and would never be back to take care of them? As they were trying to understand this, Colonel spoke again.

"The plan is for you to stay here, in Carson's office. I'm sure a few of the nurses will take turns cleaning your tank and feeding you. But Carson won't anymore." The Colonel stood up quickly then, and left the room. McKay stayed a minute longer, looking at them sadly.

"I'll check in, make sure the staff is taking good care of you. Carson would have wanted that." Then, to their surprise, he did something unexpected. He took the top of their home off, and reached his hand into their home. They stared at him with surprise as he gently petted each of them. Then, he reached next to their home to where some of their food was stored, and placed some into their dish. He then put the top back onto their home, and watched them silently for a few minutes. He then turned and left the room.

Carson's turtles sat on their rock for a while after McKay and Colonel left. Finally, they hung their heads sadly, remembering their gentle Owner, with his bright blue eyes and kind smile. He had left other to care for them this time, but had left them all alone.

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